Design Tips for a Winter Solstice Celebration

The first day of winter is also the shortest, darkest day of the year. Illuminate your home with the glow of candles, the shine of bright colors and mirrors, along with hints of spring to show Old Man Winter who's boss.

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Wintery Mix

A sparkling mantel in champagne and silver cancels out the gloom and cold outside your door. Forced paper whites are a cheerful reminder of springtime weather to come. Include natural elements like pinecones and nuts and you've got a wintery scene to last the whole season.

Courtesy of Pottery Barn

Working-Class Candles

The first day of winter is the perfect time for candles to serve as more than decorative accents. Put your chandeliers, sconces, candelabras and candlesticks to work in the fight against seasonal affective disorder.

Solstice Style

Strands of holiday lights aren't just for decorating Christmas trees. The tiny bulbs are small enough to make any space shine. Here they brighten up a shelf full of serveware. By placing candles near shiny, reflective services like the glazed ceramics here, you get an all-around glow.

Erin Cochran

Natural Reflections

This living room has all of the gear to help you survive a cold and dreary winter day. A toasty fireplace melts away the chill even if it's just full of candles. A western-style chandelier positioned across from a large mirror envelopes the room in natural light.

Spice Up the Night

Spicy shades of orange and brown create a warm, cozy vibe in this bedroom by Andreas Charalambous. When it gets dark, the room beams with the shine from a light hidden in a wall cove behind the bed.

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Shine a Little Light

Shiny, metallic surfaces maximize the glow given off by candles and lamps. Aqua accessories and silver dining chairs could come off as cold, but the light of the chandelier and the candles creates a warm and inviting dining room.

Ice, Ice Baby

Everything about this room by Candice Olson is perfect for the winter solstice. Ice blue in the chairs and rug represents the chill in the air (from the comfort of a warm, fireplace), two oversized chandeliers provide a peaceful light and a long dining table is perfect for throwing winter parties.

A Modern Winter

Embrace the cool colors of silver and gray this winter. Designer Erinn Valencich may have drained this dining room of color, but the atmosphere is anything but bleak. Plenty of natural light and pops of white warm up this modern design.

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Gold Standard

If silver is too cold for your tastes, try gold. This metallic warms up everything it touches, while adding much-needed sparkle to winter decor. A few gold accessories are all you need to melt the winter chill.

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Bright, Arabian Nights

If a cold, black night can be warmed up with the right design tools, so can a black bedroom. A metallic wall mural in the perfect shade of copper gleams with hints of romance. Lamps and hanging lanterns provide an exotic glow, while a few punches of white balance out the dark color scheme.